


Can't picture me without you.

by gyufan2303



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aromantic Kasamatsu, Kasamatsu is the best senpai, M/M, and a little bit of a BAMF, aomine's a dick but thats nothing new, brief mention of sexual abuse of a minor, he's gonna make Aomine work for it, kise's sad, literally the best, lots of Kise feels and introspection, to do with Kise's modelling job, very brief mention of starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-17 02:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3512021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyufan2303/pseuds/gyufan2303
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course Aomine had the audacity to lecture him about being rude to his friends. Like he hadn’t ripped Ryouta’s heart right out of his chest when he turned his back on all of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't picture me without you.

**Author's Note:**

> so i'm kinda in love with angsty Kise and Kasamatsu taking care of sad Kise and Kise making Aomine realise what a dick he is and giving it back to him.

5:30 PM From: Aominecchi!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D   
_Kise wtf ur missing tetsus bday for some stupid shoot r u 4 rl_

Of course Aomine had the audacity to lecture him about being rude to his friends. Like he hadn’t completely blown them off for over a year, like he hadn’t hurt Kuroko more than anyone else ever could, like he hadn’t ripped Ryouta’s heart right out of his chest when he turned his back on all of them. Ryouta’s throat is so tight, he can hardly breathe. He clenches his eyes shut to stop the stinging, he’s due back on set in ten minutes and they might just murder him if anything’s smudged.

Today’s shoot is for an up and coming casual wear company. They’re at the beach, having already finished photographing him on the picturesque sidewalks, eating at quaint cafes and posing next to fountains and interesting buildings. Unfortunately, the beach means shirtless shots and Ryouta hates those more than any other part of his job but his manager warned him that this was his last shot at making it to the big leagues so he’s sucking it up. Tensions are running high because of the sand and the sun and Kise has to bear the brunt of it. It’s taking every ounce of his professionalism not to hurl his stupid over priced sunglasses into the ocean and take the first train home.

The shoot runs two hours longer than expected. In his room, exhausted, Kise curls up in his bed and cries himself to sleep.

  _Aomine doesn’t help him up at the winter cup but instead stomps on his hands, crushing his fingers so he can’t play ever again. Kuroko looks on from the sidelines, his expression completely blank. Kasamatsu Senpai is running towards him but he’s so far away, the distance isn’t getting any smaller no matter how fast he moves but in the end he’s too late, he can’t stop Aomine –_

Ryouta wakes up feeling worse than he has since the winter cup.

-

7:42 AM From: Kurokocchi <3 <3 <3 <3 <3  
_Kise-kun, your gift was far too extravagant but, nevertheless, appreciated. I missed you at the party. Aomine-kun was very upset you couldn’t make it. I hope your shoot went well._

-

Ryouta’s official story is that he was scouted as a model in his second year of middle school, on the streets as he was eating takoyaki from a vendor with a group of girls. The truth is, his family had hit rock bottom financially during his first year and his good for nothing father had bailed on them so he went to every audition he could weasel himself into in the hopes that he could get picked for a project before his family lost their house. More often than not, he was rejected because he was ‘trying too hard to be like someone else.’ But eventually he made it. And if he was molested by a few crew members in the early days, if he had to starve himself even further than he already did before he looked like they wanted him to, if he had to expose more of himself than he’d _ever_ wanted to before he could afford to say no to jobs well. It was worth it every time to see the look on his mother’s face when he brought home the next pay cheque.

-

It’s become a tradition to go to Senpai’s place after he comes home from a job. He’s managed to charm the entire family, especially Kasamatsu’s tiny twin sisters who love brushing his hair and telling him stories about their school and laughing at his celebrity impressions. Senpai’s mother always feeds him way more than he can eat and Senpai’s father sometimes helps him with his Chemistry homework. When it’s just the two of them in Kasamatsu’s room, he gets to be silent for a while; Senpai updates him on Moriyama’s lasted failed romantic endeavour and Kobori’s budding career as a photographer and Hayakawa and Nakamura’s pranks on innocent students. Kasamatsu’s voice grounds him, helps him remember there’s a person under the make up and the unyielding cheerfulness he shows everyone else. Sometimes they cuddle on Kasamatsu’s bed and he ends up crying on Senpai’s chest, just because he can, while Kasamatsu strokes his hair. If he’s lucky, he can convince Kasamatsu to play a song or two for him on his guitar before he has to leave.

-

He’s glad Aomine chose a cafe to meet up. The atmosphere, the rich aroma of coffee and the pleasant background chatter, will hopefully keep Aomine from making a scene.

“What’s up Aominecchi? Your text sounded pretty urgent.” Aomine, on time for once, continues glaring at him, his espresso untouched. Ryouta keeps his face neutral, trying to emulate Kuroko’s indifference as much as he can. It’s difficult, when he wants to scream and sob and throw his coffee at Aomine. _I loved you. I loved you so much and you turned your back on me. You made me feel worthless. Why can’t I hate you? Why can’t I say no to you?_

“Kise, I get that I fucked up and let you down. I’m trying to be your friend again.” Like it’s that simple. Like he can make up for giving Ryouta the world and then tearing it away from him.

“I don’t understand, Aominecchi. I’ve replied to all your texts, I sent you a very expensive gift for your birthday, I even rescheduled a shoot so I could be here to meet you, what more can I do?”

“You can fucking stop treating me like I’m a stranger!” Aomine snapped. His hands are clenched in fists on the table and he looks like he wants to throttle Ryouta.

“Why can’t we go back to how it was in Teikou? I fucking miss you, okay, I miss your stupid texts and playing one on one and eating together and all that shit!”

Ryouta can’t help it, he starts laughing. He laughs so hard his stomach hurts and there are tears streaming down his face. The staff look like they want to kick him out for making such a ruckus. So much for not causing a scene.

“Sorry, its just – do you know how much time I spent day dreaming about you saying this stuff? It’s kind of surreal.” The napkin chafes against his skin when he dabs his eyes.

“Aominecchi, I’ve changed. _You_ changed me. Kaijou’s changed me. I’m sorry that I haven’t started clamouring for your attention now that Kurokocchi and Kagamicchi have made you get your head out of your ass but I’ve had other things to think about. And besides –” Aomine’s face is more desolate than he’s ever seen it and he’s glad, he hopes he’s hurting him even a fraction of how much he was hurt. “My senpai gave me some advice that I’m following through on. ‘You’ve gotta cut the crap out of your life and go after what you want with everything you’ve got! Trust your team to help you through it!’ Very inspiring, huh?”

“... Is that what this is about? You’ve got a new boytoy and some subpar team so you don’t want me anymore?”

Ryouta gapes for a second, too shocked to move.

“Aomine. If you _ever_ refer to Kasamatsu or Kaijou as those things again, first I will beat you to a bloody pulp and then I will cut all ties with you. I’ve studied MMA fights before, don’t for a second think I can’t follow through on this. Now I’m leaving.”

He walks off, leaving Aomine staring at the table, expressionless. Like ripping off a bandaid.

-

There’s pounding at his apartment door a few days later and Ryouta lets Aomine in solely because his neighbours are all bitchy and likely to complain. He wordlessly goes to the kitchen to get Aomine a glass of water while Aomine sits at his dining table, looking nervous but determined.

“Before you say a word, remember my promise Aominecchi.” Said potential beating victim rolls his eyes.

“Yeah yeah, I got it. Boyfriend and team both off limits –”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

“That’s not what you said last time.”

“I never said anything, you just assumed.”

“So what, you’re ‘just friends’?”

It takes a truly special person to infuriate Ryouta, the most annoying person in Japan, within the first minute of a conversation but Aomine’s always been exceptional.

“Not that it’s any of your business but Senpai’s aromantic. So whatever feelings I may have had once, I’ve had to completely ignore, just like I used to have to ignore my feelings for you. But he’s my closest friend.”

“So you’re single.”

“Yes, you dense – ”

Aomine kisses him. Not chastely either, full on with tongue and teethe and more messy than Ryouta necessary likes. When Aomine finally pulls back, he’s lost all his initial apprehension, grim conviction shining out of his eyes like when he’s on the court, ready to face an opponent worthy of his talent.

“That was a little – abrupt, don’t you think?” Kise says shakily.

Aomine barks out a laugh. “I’ve wanted to do that since middle school, so no.”

“Why didn’t you do it then? I wasn’t exactly subtle.”

“Maybe I thought you were just after a little fun. Maybe I was too scared to see if you wanted anything more than to fuck around for the sake of it.” Ryouta snorts.  

“So what’s changed?”

Aomine slowly reaches for his hand on the table, interlocks their fingers gently.

“I thought I’d lost you for good. To him. It scared the shit out of me, how much you care about him.” Ryouta jerks his hand away.

“You can’t just come back and expect us to immediately fall into a relationship! I’m not the same desperate kid you remember!”

“Just give me a chance, Kise. I’ll make you happy this time, I promise.” _Don’t say yes, don’t say yes, don’t say yes, you know what Senpai would think!_

“... I’m bringing Kasamatsu Senpai on our next date. If you manage not to make him too angry, I’ll think about it.”

 


End file.
